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Dec 2: Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s First Swim of Season

Posted in Events, News, video, tagged Coney Island, Coney Island Polar Bear Club, Freezin for a Reason, New Year's Day, winter swimming on December 1, 2012| 1 Comment »

The Coney Island Polar Bear Club is going for their first swim of the season on Sunday, December 2nd, a month later than usual due to Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. “We extend our condolences to everyone who was affected by the hurricane,” Dennis Thomas, president of the winter swimming club told ATZ. “We are happy to help out the Parks Department and the Aquarium with cleanup and look forward to a shortened but a good strong season.” Last year’s first swim, shown in the above vid by a club member, was on November 6th and the water temp was 51F.

The Bears swim at 1pm every Sunday from November through April. There are currently 150 full-time members of the club with about 100 coming out for weekly swims, says Thomas. Membership is closed for the 2012-2013 season, but you can join them for a guest swim. Just show up at the Bears “Clubhouse” at the Aquarium’s Education Hall on the Boardwalk at West 8th Street by 12:30 pm with your bathing suit, a towel, surf boots or an extra pair of sneakers, and some warm clothing.

Just 31 days away, the Coney Island Polar Bear Club’s annual January 1st Swim is one of the more unusual ways to welcome the New Year. It’s become increasingly popular and a winter counterpart to the Mermaid Parade. On New Year’s Day 2012 in Coney Island, a record 3,000 “Did “It” at the Polar Bear Plunge, nearly three times as many as the previous year, Thomas told ATZ. The event is free and open to the public, but Freezin’ for a Reason is also a major fundraiser for Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life threatening illnesses and their families.

Aquarium Director Jon Dohlin Greets Coney Island Polar Bear at Post Hurricane Sandy Cleanup on the Boardwalk. November 17, 2012. Photo © Princess Polar Bear Capri

Photos of the Day: Hurricane Sandy Approaches Coney Island

Posted in News, Photo of the Day, Photography, video, tagged Charles Denson, Coney Island, hurricane, Sandy, Sea Gate on October 29, 2012| 4 Comments »

Hurricane Sandy: Waves Crashing at Sea Gate on the western end of Coney Island. Photo © Charles Denson via Coney Island History Project

This morning as Hurricane Sandy moved toward New Jersey and New York City, Charles Denson of the Coney Island History Project snapped these dramatic photos at Sea Gate and Steeplechase Pier in Coney Island. The bulkheads at Sea Gate are already washing out, Denson said.

“History is being written as an extreme weather event continues to unfold, one which will occupy a place in the annals of weather history as one of the most extraordinary to have affected the United States,” said meteorologist Stu Ostro in a Weather Channel blog post. For Coney Island, the crucial time is during tonight’s full moon high tide at 8:22 PM, when a surge of 9 to 10 feet is possible say meteorologists.

Hurricane Sandy: Steeplechase Pier, Coney Island. October 29, 2012. Photo © Charles Denson via Coney Island History Project

Video of the Day: Gotta Love Coney Island by Jay Singer

Posted in amusement park, film, video, tagged Coney Island Film Festival, Gotta Love Coney Island, Jay Singer on September 25, 2012| 2 Comments »

One of the films in ATZ’s “5 Coney Must-Sees at the Coney Island Film Festival” is now on YouTube after premiering over the weekend. “Gotta Love Coney Island” by Brooklyn native and Coney Island regular Jay Singer is frenetic and hypnotic. If you’re at work, you may want to adjust the volume before watching. The soundtrack is Faith No More’s “Woodpecker from Mars.”

Scenes of the filmmaker being catapulted into the sky in Scream Zone’s Slingshot are intercut with vintage footage of Steeplechase Park’s Parachute Jump and Human Pool Table. “It is 275 separate scenes at various speeds composited into a ‘one reel’ experimental film,” Jay told ATZ last week. “The goal was to capture the ‘pulse’ of Coney Island on a busy day, with intercuts of vintage footage filmed by my grandfather alongside contemporary footage of my own.” “Gotta Love Coney Island” is dedicated to Scott Fitlin, the operator and DJ extraordinaire of the Eldorado Bumper Cars, which appears at the beginning of the film.